Holmberg Jewelry closing doors

November 12, 2007

CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Yvonne Mercadante of Clovis helps the staff retag and reorangize inventory Monday at Holmberg Jewelry. Mercadante, who has worked at the store off and on since 1960, said the store closure is “absolutely devastating.”

CNJ staff

One of Clovis’ oldest jewelry stores is going out of business.

Holmberg Jewelry, which opened in the 1940s, expects to close its doors a few days after Christmas, sons of the late Buddy Holmberg said Monday.

“We’re selling everything including the display cases and hopefully the building (at 1908 N. Prince St.),” said Court Holmberg of Lubbock, in Clovis with other family members to help with the shutdown.

The store is closed today for inventory and will be open Wednesday to select customers “by invitation only,” Court Holmberg said. The closeout sales open to the public begin at noon Thursday.

Anton Holmberg moved to Clovis from Red Oak, Iowa, in 1941 and soon opened Holmberg Jewelry at 312 Main St.

Family members said he operated the store until 1964 when he sold it to son Buddy Holmberg. Buddy moved the store to its Prince Street location 17 years ago and continued to operate it until his death on June 12.

“Holmberg Jewelry has always been the high-end jewelry store in Clovis,” Buddy’s son Trace Holmberg said. “My father and grandfather specialized in diamonds and (Buddy Holmberg) was the only Rolex dealer around for several years.”

The Holmberg sons said their father employed three people when he died, though he usually had five to seven employees during the Christmas holidays.